Movement Spotlight: Norwood - Fontbonne Academy Students
Operation Broken Silence may be a small organization; but, with the support of our incredible movement found across the United States and around the world, we’re able to help our Sudanese partners make progress in their communities in some really big ways.
We want to share one of these stories from our movement with you today! Meet Megan Stotz, an educator at Norwood - Fontbonne Academy in Philadelphia, PA.
Some of Megan’s students recently worked on a media project about clean water access. She heard about the clean water project we were fundraising for in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan and reached out to us about getting involved. We introduced some real-world experience from the nonprofit-side of things to her students and they eagerly jumped into their own project and fundraising for ours! She says:
“The most interesting thing my students and I learned was the resiliency of the Sudanese people. After facing decades of turmoil and despair, the Sudanese people have not given up hope for a better future. Their hope was contagious and inspired my students to want to learn more, help in an authentic way, and be the next generation of global change agents.
What stood out the most to my sixth grade students was how they deeply comprehended the meaning of ‘Water is Life.’ My students connected that clean water provides access to improved health, safety, and education. They could identify the ripple effects in people's lives, especially children their age, when they do not have access to safe and clean water. One sixth grade student named Jake Donovan said, ‘This is more than a health crisis, it's a life crisis.’
This salient theme tied itself to the engineering prototype designs my students were creating. Their designs went from a simple water filter with no significant purpose, to a prototype of a water fountain using local vegetation as a filter that would be located near classrooms so students and teachers would have easy access to clean water. Another group designed and built a portable water filter for families to use when they are traveling far from their local village for either work opportunities or access to food. Without the awareness of the need for clean water my students wouldn’t have fully grasped the effect their water filtration would have on people.”
Together, the students raised $1,375 for the clean water project we are sponsoring in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan! This helped us close the remaining fundraising gap for the project. Here’s what Megan had to say about how fundraising benefited her students:
“There were so many aspects of the project that we loved! First and foremost, my students were able to see in real time how many hands make light work. From people donating $1 to $100, everyone's contribution made a difference. Each time we jumped over a goal my students would scream and high five each other with excitement. Additionally, my students were able to follow the process of how an engineering solution gets into the real world. From identifying a need, building a solution with a sustainable design, then finding monetary resources to get the plan in action was an invaluable lesson.
Hands down the best thing I did for my students this year was to get involved with Operation Broken Silence. The level of empathy my students felt and have maintained over the course of our class project was largely in part with working with Operation Broken Silence.
From their touching media pieces, to purposeful and sustainable solutions for the Sudanese people, my students knew the work they were doing was helping others. Being able to see the efforts of their plans be put into action was something I couldn’t have done with a traditional lesson plan. My students were also able to identify all of the moving parts within an NGO. The realization of the importance of logos, websites, marketing, and fundraising, heavily influenced the work they put into their NGO and prototype design. These real world connections will have a lasting impact on not only their learning, but their life.”
Thank you to the students, Megan and her colleagues, and the families of Norwood - Fontbonne Academy for including our mission and Sudanese partners in your community. Some of our friends in Sudan will soon benefit from your compassion, and we are always encouraged when we see students helping others.
Get Involved
Operation Broken Silence has been working next to our Sudanese partners on the ground for over a decade. Our mission has always been focused on the long run, which is why empowering local solutions in the oppressed Nuba Mountains region is our top priority.
Supporting local teachers like Chana makes all the difference for students in Yida Refugee Camp. The fastest way to empower them is to make a quick one-time donation online, or setup a small monthly gift to help provide them the consistent support they need.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Start a fundraising page and ask friends and family to give!
Make a check payable to Operation Broken Silence and mail it to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
Operation Broken Silence is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. To claim a donation as a deduction on your U.S. taxes, please keep your email donation receipt as your official record. We'll send it to you upon successful completion of your donation.
